The Crying Game

Synopsis:

Irish Republican Army member Fergus forms an unexpected bond with Jody, a kidnapped British soldier in his custody, despite the warnings of fellow IRA members Jude and Maguire. Jody makes Fergus promise he’ll visit his girlfriend, Dil, in London, and when Fergus flees to the city, he seeks her out. Hounded by his former IRA colleagues, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the enigmatic, and surprising, Dil.

Quick Thoughts:

After watching “The Crying Game”, I’m a bit torn about my perceptions of this film. It most certainly is a thriller, and while I certainly can concur that Dil’s trans character makes this film worth of entry in the LGBTQ niche, I’m not quite so sure that the film itself is actually a queer film let alone a queer thriller film. To start, other than the mention and quick glance a a photo, Dil’s character isn’t even in the first half of the film! She absolutely gets involved in the latter half, directly with Fergus and even gets caught up in all the IRA debacles that follow Fergus to London. But something feels… off. Jaye Davidson does a fabulous job portraying Dil’s trans character – but it truly feels like her trans character is merely being used as a plot device rather than making any sort of a stand on trans folk. Regardless, “The Crying Game” revealed a trans character in a supporting role to mainstream audiences in this Oscar winning film.